Traffic congestion here ranks 41st among big U.S. cities

Rochester drivers spend less time stuck in traffic than most of their counterparts across the country, a new report from TomTom shows.

Rochester ranks 41st among 50 cities nationwide on the annual TomTom Traffic Index, released this week by TomTom NV, a global company known primarily for its navigation and mapping products. Rochester’s average congestion level was 13 percent, with a 14-minute delay per hour driven during a peak period, the report states.

TomTom compared travel times during non-congested hours with travel times in peak hours in 186 cities globally, including 50 in the United States. The study analyzed the increased traffic patterns on non-highway secondary roads in the United States, noting common traffic shortcuts drivers take to avoid congestion actually add 50 percent more travel time to trips.

The report notes Rochester’s most congested day in 2013 was Feb. 8 and the worst weekly commute during peak periods were Thursday mornings and Wednesday evenings. The report also notes drivers in Rochester with 30-minute commutes spend more than a week stuck in traffic per year.

Los Angeles ranked as the most congested city in the U.S., ahead of San Francisco and Honolulu, while Kansas City and Indianapolis were the least congested cities featured in the study. Moscow was the most congested city in the world—at 74 percent compared with 36 percent Los Angeles.